Twenty Ways To Die
by shkrillz dot net
Summary: Can one go against fate? Can one take in all that is suppose to happen, and at the last deciding moment, throw it all away and pick their life for themselves? Two friends who seek only peace think it true, and so, amidst a world of uncertaintly, they try.
1. chapter 1 Blades and Fists

Twenty Ways to Die

By: John and Matt

Prologue

(alter later) Beautiful flowers of just about any color you could imagine were just now stemming from lush green grass and the sky above had not even a speck of white. It was all so tranquil and flawless that one could only see it that way and no other.

That thought was shattered though when the two approaching forces spotted one another and charged. One side, a large group of men wore all red armor and seemed to burn every thing they ran across leaving the ground bare and desolate. Meanwhile, the other army wore all blue and did equal damage, from those not in the battle it looked like they were drowning all the green and sweeping them away like a wave.

Then, where they met, the sound of war cries and charging faded into echoes, replaced by the more violent clashing of metal upon metal. The flowers were crushed beneath heavy boots, and the grass became stained with blood, the once peaceful world that was the field, in an instant, became the very embodiment of chaos.

Yet amongst the turmoil and carnage walked two boys, they wore no armor, only gray cloaks, and seemed to approach one another untouched by either sword or body. Not a fleck of blood fell upon their young faces and as if guided by the gods themselves the warriors before them parted, seeming to just forget they were even there.

It didn't take long for them to get through the cluttered army and meet at the center, one dragging what looked like a giant knife and the other glowing the softest of emerald.

Then, without so much as a cry or blink, the entire army was swept away, and the two boys who met, were gone.

After what had become known as the Divine Judgment, when the two greatest forces of the world were swept away without a trace a new power came to take over. Their rise was fast, and with the speed of a swallow the entire world found them selves ruled by their hand.

Nothing groundbreaking is known about this new form of government nor of how they managed it come to power so fast. So without even an official name the villagers and smaller kingdoms dub it, Dark Sun. The ruler, though never being physically present, has managed to bring about a wide range of prosperity. It made peace everlasting and with such tranquility came the promise of eternal protection. The young could grow old without fear of attackers, and the elderly could live any way they wished.

It was an over all Utopia, but at the same time there lay, like any government, its shifty choices and secrets. The Watchers Doctrine was one of these shifty actions for it was a law that states any person who witnesses another engaging in unexplainable activities, is to be reported, regardless of age, sex, or affiliation, to a state official.

None knew just what they were suppose to report however so they continue their life and all that comes with it, leaving the doctrine as just a way to watch over others and ensure continuous care. At the cost of such neglect, the people of the world suddenly became ignorant and unaware of forces at which have come to exist.

These forces reside within a small group of individuals, and though each is different in their own way, they still have the immense power to destroy. These individuals had no choice in their power for it came without desire. Just as the coloring of leaves and a sudden chill approach with the seasons, as does changes within the body. So without any reason other then the predetermining nature of the world these people have come to gain abilities unlike any on the world.

There are those with the power who choose to fight, while others choose to rule, some wish to rid them selves of their powers, and then there's the few who above all else, wish only to have peace.

It is peace that two boys seek. The very two who, with but a flick of their hands, erased the two largest kingdoms from the world.

They still search for it now, only with the Dark Sun growing stronger, and their influence upon others developing, the world has suddenly closed in around them. With just a single continent left to explore the two must find peace.

But with the stage for battle set, and all the pawns stretched out before it, finding peace, true peace, will become the most difficult task.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Blades and Fists

It had been at least three years after the Divine Judgment and the sins left behind by all those dead, the grievances of their loved ones, and the desire for forgiveness, have drawn the two together. It made them friends, and more importantly it gave them both a chance to share the burden that weighed so greatly upon them. That sadness fueled their ambitions however and drove them to a common goal. They wanted peace.

That search for tranquility, over long years of searching, drove them back to the very place it all started, and so the pair in their tired travel worn steps, came to stop before the stretch of cracked land.

"Not even a single sprout," Oliver said.

He was only sixteen, but his warm features and amber eyes showed a more mature and understanding person. His stare, though not very long and often unintentional had a way of entering your mind and sharing your emotions. It made him constantly sympathetic and curious, not to mention he became a person one could always run to when they needed closure.

"Even after all this time, it's still so bare."

Tai, the tall boy of seventeen with a mix of red and black hair lowered his hand and ruffled Oliver's dark cow licked hair.

"Maybe we should plant some seeds eh?"

"Not sure…."

Unsure of what to say, Tai tore his scarlet colored gaze off of his crouching friend and set it to the clouded sky above. There was no rain to be felt, and no thunder to be heard, but a blanket of thick gray still hovered there tempting those in need of it each and every minute. But what made the boy smile was the familiar scent of cold.

"It's gonna be winter soon." Tai turned back to Oliver and smirked, "can't wait."

Oliver didn't answer, so he sighed and reached behind him and drew that immense sword. He leaned on it.

The blade was very broad, at least a foot across, and extended from a two foot hilt of cylinder shaped metal to an opposing length of six feet. It was so notable that they had trouble getting around in villages without being spotted by officials. But what others never noticed, what they never saw or sought to see, was how effortlessly he could wield it.

Oliver saw the weapon and gestured to it with a smile.

"Has it finally begun to hurt your back?"

Tai laughed a bit and said, "No not at all, I just kinda felt like leaning."

Not going into the matter any further he cast his amber stare out over the stretch of desolate earth. The field was so vacant it was haunting with earth upturned and dry mud cracking with each footstep. What was more eerie was that the destruction was only a wide circle and immediately gave way to lush foliage. Tufts of grass surrounded the far outer edges, and on the other side lay a forest.

This place did not come to be naturally, nor did it look as though it should have either, so with that thought in mind Oliver sighed.

"Maybe we should get going Tai, I don't like it here."

Tai shared an equally heavy sigh and slung the blade up so that the dull side rested against his shoulder before silently starting forward. Oliver was already up by then and moved by his side, both taking the same steps with the same tenderness. The only sound around them was that of the shattering mud beneath their feet, or the occasional scuff their boots made on more sandy areas.

The sooner they were out of this gloomy place the better, and for a while they thought they never would. But just as the mud and sand began to soften and small bits of green filled in some of the cracks they came to a stop.

There was a camp set up before them, where it had come neither knew, but as they squinted their eyes it became more and more apparent that it was indeed a settlement.

It had a few fires, and the thick scent of leather and smoke chased off the fresh stinging cold. Even the once dreadful silence was being trampled over by soft laughter and the ever-present cutting of wood.

But the harder Oliver stared he could not tell if there were any colors of a kingdom, there was no pilgrims flag or any sign at all. So he turned to Tai and shot him a weary glance.

"Do you see any colors?"

Tai was scrutinizing the camp for the very same detail, and when he found nothing he shook his head.

"Nope."

"Maybe their still pilgrims, I mean not every pilgrim has to put up a flag."

Tai shook his head and his voice was skeptical, "why would a pilgrimage come all the way out here?"

"Then what do you think they are?"

Now the boy shrugged the blade off of his shoulder and stabbed its tip into the earth.

"Bandits maybe."

To Oliver the prospect of bandits, and such a large number of them, being all the way out here was frightening.

"Do you think that they're expecting us or something? I mean why else would they be all the way out here?"

"What would they expect us for?" replied Tai, the grip on the handle of his sword growing tighter, "but they're in out way that's for sure…"

Before he could say anything else a sliver of sunlight formed on the edge of the sword with such intensity that it had reached the bandits on the outermost edge of the camp. A few eyes suddenly turned to them, and then voices began to ring out louder and louder going, "Crow! It's Crow!"

"Crow?" questioned Oliver, "why are they saying Crow?"

Tai twitched and began a steady stride forward, dragging the massive blade with him complaining as he went.

"Those bastards! Did they just call me a Crow? Oh I'll show them!"

Oliver would have said something about it but he figured any attempt would fall on deaf ears so, flexing the fingers of his right fist he lagged behind his friend while already the camp before them was fully roused and weapons had begun to draw.

The hiss of uncountable blades cut through the air, and the sun light reflected across the camp to give it such luster one would swear it was a mass collection of diamonds. But with all five senses acting as one Oliver could sense the under tones. He caught in the cold air a mix of fear and excitement as well as an intense longing for death.

Tai sensed the emotions also but was to angry to pay them any mind, so he just kept going and going, even more so when he was within the archers range. It was apparent when a sudden gleam of light flickered closer and closer, aimed with supreme accuracy for Tai's head.

It hit nothing but the ground though as the boy just tilted his head to the side, feeling the sudden passing of air caress his cheek and stir his hair made him smile big.

He called back over his shoulder for Oliver, not even caring that the bowmen were all drawing up their arrows again.

"I'm thinking we go ahead and clear ourselves a path!"

Oliver smiled and tightened his fingers to a fist so that his knuckles turned white, and by the time the second arrow was released the pair was already on them.

Recks Valafor with his cobalt blue hair a shaggy mess had been sitting in the tent as a captive for the last few weeks. Here he was the leader of the Order, a functioning community of knights sworn to protect the Dark Sun, and he was wearing rags and smelt of rancid meat. But this was his charge, at the young ripe age of eighteen he alone had the privilege to enforce the laws of his country. It was his life, simple as that.

It was no surprise then that when the letter came, telling him he was to disrobe his uniform and allow himself to be captured by the Cutlass Bandits he would obey. So he took off the perfectly pressed black uniform with the purple hems, the chords of gray, and the dark blue pants to take on a more simple cloth. He went then to blend in with a small town to the east of the capital.

A raiding party was being sent out each and every month by the Cutlass bandits and they prayed on the smaller rural towns that had not a way to defend themselves.

Recks though them Cowards, and still thinking that he turned his head to the side and took a good look at the captives around him. Each one was wearing a rather poor looking mass of cloth, some had been wet for far to long and hardened, while others had become full of fungi.

Unlike him however, they were here out of weakness, he was just here under pretense and so cracked a thin smile. It was his sacred charge, a mission that would lead him to the heart of the bandit's village where he could destroy them from the inside out.

That would take some time though, so he went about listening to conversation between the prisoners around him. It was then that he stumbled upon an old man speaking of his daughter. She was, from what he said, young, only sixteen years of age, but with a remarkable skill that made the other prisoners sigh and complain. This skill made the proud leader arch a blue brow and listen more intently.

"She can heal I tell you!"

Hardly anybody believed what he spoke, so when the others got tired of his constant talking one of the younger men tossed up his hands and said "Stop telling fibs Jasper, just stifle that hogwash and lay down!"

"But she can I tell you!" he said back, but that was the end of it and he lowered his head to sob. That is until Recks approached him.

"Sir?"

Johan looked up with those beady eyes outlined by a stretch of wrinkled skin, he said nothing so Recks took a seat beside him and went on.

"This daughter of yours…what does she do, again?"

Certainly the older one thought he was going to be ridiculed again and shied away from the subject.

"Forget it.." his voice was worn out and Recks could tell it was out of embarrassment, "its nothing.."

"No no," he said with encouragement, " please tell me I'm very interested."

Finally after a bit more prying Johan turned his head to the cloth tents roof and said, "she can heal, she has this brilliant purple aura that forms around her, and its just so warm.." he closed his eyes, "I want her back… even if what I see is in my head I want her back…she's my only daughter.."

"Only daughter?" Recks asked, only to lower his head in thought.

He had no children, not a child on earth so there was no denying the ignorance toward the subject, but the justice in him was strong, stronger then any force in the universe. Not to mention, if this child could in fact heal the wounded, then the government come for her one day anyway.

He understood the presence of unknown power all to well, in fact; he was only in this camp because sources said that the leader of Cutlass has skills of unexplainable origin. Then there was another man who went by the name Crow that Recks greatly wished to meet with. He had been attacking bandit camps all around the eastern edge, which they were at now, so it was only natural he would attract the Dark Sun. There was also the fact that Recks might have known this Crow once upon a time.

_So by the gods of fate, _he thought to himself,_ my destiny is meant to meet with these forces, and with my power alone I am to bring them all to justice. This is surely the will of the one great leader, the Truth of the Dark Sun. _

Recks couldn't help but grin at his own self satisfaction, but his thoughts were abruptly put to an end when the bandits around him began to shout and run to and fro. Leaders of the smaller divisions ordered those closest to him or her to the edge of camp while others were swiftly preparing bows.

The sudden commands and confusion that broke out made the bandits temporarily lose focus over watching the prisoners. Recks, seeing this laughed to himself.

_This pathetic Rabble of fools is nothing to the great army; they are doing it all wrong._

A thought such as that was expected from the leader, so thinking nothing further of the opposite force he smiled to the old man.

"I will bring your daughter to safety."

The old man smiled happily, and nodded, and while other captives were wondering what was going on Recks Valafor snuck away and hid behind a few barrels to watch the chaos.

He could hear the bandits calling out to one another, saying Crow himself was here, and that was more then enough to boil his blood. However, as he leaned up and saw beyond the tents his sight fell not on Crow, but two cloaked boys.

"These two…" he began to tell himself, "are very idiod-" he paused in mid sentence as the two boys suddenly broke into a run. They were approaching the bandit camp head on.

He expected the bandits to tear the boys apart since they had their swords out and formed a tight chain. But once the two opposites finally did clash, it was the bandits who fell away and broke ranks.

Recks interest was peaked even higher.


	3. Chapter 3

Heaven and Earth

Oliver seemed to dissolve before the blades as they sang and flew through the air toward him leaving the bandits puzzled and frustrated. So in their confusion they began to swing every which way, hoping to at least once slice or nick the nimble figure who so effortlessly curved his frame to avoid the strikes and left them to fall short only centimeters away.

He came closer though, felt the air claw his cheeks as the blade howled past him and occasionally let the sharp edge caress his cheek. He could smell the oils that had once been used to polish the sword, and he watched as they metal of them distorted the dim sunlight to an amber shine. But no matter how close he got, not one sword fell on him, and as he moved those watching swore he were the water.

There was no name for the wild dance that the boy was engaged in, there was not a person on earth who could recognize it either and those who sought to understand it would only come up with the harsh fact that. This dance was ever changing.

To Oliver however, this was no dance, it was no brilliant display of movement meant to entertain those around him. It was his bodies sudden reaction to the world him by combining each and every scent he had. The world was simply changing, and in turn he changed to match it, going as fluidly as possible to match the rapid succession of swings each man around him attacked with. His senses melted into one, and with that one lone sense, he managed to avoid each and every blow, looking utterly flawless.

As perfect as the movements were, they eventually began to take a toll on his body. Because he had done too much dodging and not enough attacking his Stamina began to decrease and so little by little the swords began to graze his skin and hack at his clothing. He was only seconds away from feeling the cold metal bite him into him and that would slow his movements down even more.

Oliver quickly opened himself up to the blades, and at the last moment, when the strength of the strike was to powerful to suddenly change, he ducked and spun out of the circle of men. He stood back up, savoring the few moments of reprieve, and cocked his right fist back so its knuckles were in the bandit's direction.

There was really no warning other then the slight wobbling of air that could alert the bandits of what was to come. It just wobbled there, shuddering and rippling, until finally a faint tawny glow began to radiate from his skin. The cloth that was surrounding the entire arm was suddenly torn away and the shreds faded off into nothing. Still however, the light grew, not growing brighter, but rather taking up more and more skin until finally it pressed back to his skin and stuck like leather.

He glared.

One of the bandits, who had been humiliated by being the closest to the boy but never managing to hit him lowered his blade and rushed forward. He could beat this kid, he kept telling himself, he coul—

Oliver had already moved and that glowing fist met with the running mans chest. No noise was made, no groan of pain, no shout, nothing, only the sudden folding of flesh and accompanied pressure that grasped the bandit and hurled him like a cannon ball into his comrades. They all fell before him, and Oliver, casually lowering his fist, advanced.

This was his gift, the gift bestowed upon him by the powers of the heaven. It made him a Serenity, a person whose power draws upon his own spirit. He did not ask for it, instead he often rejected it and blamed it for all the wrong in his life. It is what made him unable to live a normal life, it was a curse.

If I didn't have this, he would often tell himself, then I could live happily, I could be with some farm girl and we could work together. I'd grow up, have some children, and all that other sweet stuff.

As the flooding of thoughts swarmed up his head and began to swell to the point he would surly break down, Tai shouted, "Stop complaining!"

His thoughts were never allowed, but Tai knew more then any on earth what he thought about when he drew out his power. So, Oliver smiled and lowered his head, still listening.

"You can dream all ya want, one day we'll make it true, so stop your whining and get in the game!" He ducked low just in time to avoid a sword and without missing a beat he slammed the tip of his hilt into the attackers chin, forcing him high into the air where he hovered a moment, before finally landing on his comrades.

He was right though, so Oliver turned back to the bandits and rushed them, intent on scaring them out of the camp so he didn't have to beat up each one. Tai however was enjoying the fight at hand and seeking it out.

The bandits thought him to be off guard since he was standing there with the dull side of his sword balanced on his shoulder and his other hand in his pocket. With such a big sword, they thought, he couldn't possibly block all of us and attack. So, sharing this thought not by words but by actions they charged.

As they charged, swords high and steps long, they were suddenly cast back and Tai who had once been standing there, had taken a step forward and met them with the flat of his blade, swinging with all his body weight to make sure those around him were swept away.

It was like trying to stand up to a tidal wave, and those who attempted saw their blades shatter, and then, felt the shockwave of pain as metal met skin.

The once small battlefield had suddenly become an orchestra of breaking bones, clashing metal, and wails of anguish. It was all to familiar to Tai however, and listening to the song lie any good conductor would do he picked up the pace.

His legs began to move more and the hand in his pocket came out giving him the balance he needed to hop about and twirl his body. The sword however moved to the opposite, if he went left, the blade guided right, and if he jumped it would come down. None of the bandits however saw a way to dodge it, they either ducked and ran off, or tried their best to just dodge it.

Nevertheless, this couldn't go on forever, and needing to finish this battle and get out to help Oliver, Tai, turning on his left leg, spun his entire body around and let the blade extend, spinning and what not to create distance.

Then, when his spin slowed he crouched low to the ground, and stabbed the length of his blade into the topsoil. He felt the vibrations of foot steps all around him and as he tightened his grip on the hilt he channeled all of that into the metal.

A low humming sound rose from his body, hair began to rise into insane inclines and ridiculous gravity defying angles, and suddenly, with a broad grin on his face, the earth around him erupted into explosions.

He was an Extreme, a person who used the environment, not their spirit to follow their will. It made him the soldier of the physical world.

Either way, the sudden release of energy not only cast the men about like rag dolls, but it also slammed rocks, earth, and even tents from their own camp into each other. It made sure that, when the dust settled, not a man in the blast would get back to his feet.

They never did.

Those who had not taken the sudden distraction in the camp to run away had just begun to emerge from their tents. There were women and children as well as men and most of them wore next to nothing, but those who were clothed were wearing different cloths of different colors and textures. They were tied together by small strands of twine and rope.

Oliver, watching the groups of captives shuffle out of hiding sighed and Tai hearing it gave a low grunt.

"It's their fault," some were approaching them now, "they let themselves get taken over and captured, so don't feel any pity."

"Pity…" Oliver said but not in agreement, he was just reflecting on the word, and before he knew it a small group of the prisoners has come to stand only a few feet away. Their heads were bowed, and he could tell by the faint thickness in the air they were eternally grateful.

One of the men, a tall man with long blue hair and a healthy but lean frame stepped forward to greet them.

. "Good evening," he said, just beginning to form a smile, "I am Recks Valafor and I wanted to be the first to than…"

Tai, suddenly glaring swiped the air with his hands and cut him off.

"Don't bother, were just passing through and will be gone in just a few minutes."

Bearing through this sudden disrespect Recks turned his sapphire gaze onto those around him, and wondered at how their faces remained the same. How on earth could they let their own thank you get tossed into their faces like that, they were worms. Nothing more.

Oliver had been staring at Recks through the entire time he was speaking and it stirred some alien sensation. He didn't like this man, and Recks, feeling the pair of eyes weighing down on him turned and smiled.

"May I at least have a name?"

"Oliver, and" he gestured to Tai, "this his Tai."

"Fine names," Recks said, committing them both to memory, "and you, Oliver, you are just passing through as well?"

"Yes"

"Anything else?"

"No."

Tai, listening to the brief exchanging of words grinned ear to ear never once over looking how out of place Recks was. What normal person had such blue hair, and more importantly, why was he so talkative, Tai was suspicious. Oliver was as well and it showed in how emotionless he was when speaking to the other. They knew each other more then themselves sometimes, and it was at that, that Tai was smirking.

Recks, unaware of their mistrust toward him pressed on, to him these two were battle capable idiots. It made his lips twist and his brows come together.

"You are surely a man of few words Oliver.."

Oliver, smiling said, "Few can be more if you're in the right mind set."

"Oh? How is that."

"You tell me."

Recks sighed and after a moment of perplexed thinking said, "you are a rather strange boy," with absolute conviction.

Always the humble one Oliver thought nothing of the comment and merely bowed his head and turned to look at the sky. Beyond the thick expanse of clouds it was getting darker, and the land was growing even colder. Night had begun to approach and they needed to be off soon.

Tai, noticing the very same thing stepped away from the conversation at hand and went about gathering some spare supplies. He slipped the clothes from felled bandits and bundled them into some discarded sacks. He took scraps of cloth and a few weapons for trade and sell, as well as a near by food wagon still full of bread, cheese, water caskets, wine, spices, there was also fire wood. Then he sought out a horse or cow to drag the small and light wagon around, which didn't take long. He found a rather nice female horse just a few feet away.

Not giving the mare a name just yet he called it over and ran a slender finger along her cream-colored side. It was definitely a girl, which didn't mean much other then that he could sell her in the mating season to a farm. But more so, on top of her being strong she was also energetic and trained. She'd do fine.

Meanwhile, after dodging question after question Oliver stepped back and said, "I should return to my friend, we have a long way to go."

"Oh!" Recks stepped forward to maintain the same distance, "where are you heading? I know the land like the back of my hand."

Tai, just returning with the horse said, "none of your damn business."

He handed a chord of leather that drooped from the horse's snout into Oliver's hand and cant his head to the side in irritation, "so why don't you stop asking questions."

Recks was so taken aback by the comment that he nearly fell over, but a fierce determination formed and his muscles tensed. How dare this man, this low extreme, mock me, such disrespect! I have more power then he or his little friend will ever have! Oh I'll show him oh I wi…"

He was cut off suddenly when old Johan shuffled like a tired slug through the crowd of captives and right passed him. He clasped his old shaking hands around Tai's sword hand and bowed down to kiss it.

"You've helped us, so let me help you.." he said, and lifted his head.

But Tai arching a brow swiped his hand away and glared, "don't thank me old man, and definitely not like that." He wiped his hand on his shirt, "perverted old man, what has this world come to."

Johan listened and let go of Tai's hand before nodding his head. He still remained close though and said, "the bandits village lay beyond the forest, but inside are smaller encampments…"

He needed to take a deep breath, his old body no doubt past it's limit, but he went on undisturbed by the trio. "Now that you have run off some of the bandits they will no doubt take refuge in these camps and your faces will be known all throughout the forest. If you go in there you will be trapped… So if you go in there, you will have no cover and you will surely die."

This didn't surprise Tai too much, but brooding over what the old man said he lifted his eyes and stared long and hard at the far out forest. It was a thick area with large bushes, thick trunks and with hardly any breaks in the treetops; no doubt it would be darker then normal.

"Stay here until morning…" Johan was following Tai's crimson stare, "that way when you set off you can more light to work with.."

But Tai wasn't swayed and casually shrugged.

"No thanks."

"Why not, it is suicide to go in now?"

Tai grinned and said, "see the thing about us is, were invincible."

Johan's eyes widened, "invincible?"

"Yep."

It was a lie, Tai and Oliver were far from invincible, but they sure felt it, especially after running off an entire caravan of bandits. Him saying it was more of a reassurance so that they could leave without having anyone try and stop them further, if they waited here the bandits would just come in the night and attack and If that happened they would have all these screaming children and woman running around. That would make it harder to fight freely and didn't help them out much, so why should they stay?

Oliver however thought it differently, if they stayed, then they would be attacked because that's where they were, if the bandits knew their faces and wanted revenge they'd come for them wherever they were and just kill the captives later. It helped the others out, as well as he and Tai.

Recks however said nothing, he only scoffed and turned his back to the three to stare undaunted at the forest. They'd die in there, it was as simple as that so he figured he'd just let them go in and attract attention. Meanwhile he could sneak in and get Sonnet out of whatever place held her and from there over power and capture crow. It was such a full proof plan he couldn't help but shiver. Especially since, when the end for them all finally came it would be he, who receives the gift and praise.

Oliver and Tai however, not needing to stay anymore then they had already, hooked the wagon to a few chords and ran them round the strong horses body so she could wheel the wagon behind her. They moved after that, Tai beside the wagon with his sword on his shoulder, and Oliver at the front guiding the horse through the camp. The fallen bandits were still all over the place, some already tied up, and others just knocked out. Tents were broken, friends were hugging, and over all the camp was destroyed.

Not either of them looked back, and so soon faded like an old memory into the darkened foliage.


End file.
